Lock for releasably connecting a hardtop with a body of a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A lock includes a plug-type pin, which is rotatably held in a stationary receiving sleeve fastened to the hardtop. A spring element is provided between the sleeve and a contact disk. The plug-type pin has a link pin on one end side which can be locked while introduced in a helical guideway of a stationary link element of the vehicle body. On the head side, the plug-type pin has a transversely situated holding pin, which can be adjusted on face-side guideways of the receiving sleeve into an open and closed position against the tension of an elastomer spring arranged between the contact disk and the receiving sleeve.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This application claims the priority of German Application No.101 47 213.7, filed Sep. 25, 2001, the disclosure of which is expresslyincorporated by reference herein.

[0002] The invention relates to a lock for releasably connecting ahardtop with a body of a vehicle by way of a plug-type pin. Inparticular, the lock has a pin which is rotatably held in a stationaryreceiving sleeve fastened to the hardtop. A spring element is providedbetween the sleeve and a contact disk. The plug-type pin has a link pinon the end side, which can be locked while introduced in a helicalguideway of a stationary link element of the vehicle body.

[0003] From German Patent document DE 197 36 508 C2, a lock is known forreleasably connecting a hardtop with a body of a vehicle. This lockcomprises a plug-type pin connected with a handle, which plug-type pinhas a retention pin guided in a link element as well as a contact pinwhich is held at the head-side of a hollow screw in a transverse groove.

[0004] It is an object of the invention to provide an improved lock fora hardtop which ensures a secure releasable connection of the hardtopwith a body of a vehicle. Furthermore, the inventive lock is held in theoperating position, during driving in a noiseless manner.

[0005] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a lock fordetachably connecting a hardtop with a body of a vehicle by way of aplug-type pin which is rotatably held in a stationary receiving sleevefastened to the hardtop. A spring element is provided between the sleeveand a contact disk. The plug-type pin has a link pin on the end side,which can be locked while introduced in a helical guideway of astationary link element of the vehicle body. On a head side, theplug-type pin has a transversely situated holding pin, which can beadjusted on face-side guideways in the receiving sleeve into an openingand closing position (I and II) against the tension of an elastomerspring. The spring is arranged between the contact disk and thereceiving sleeve. Additional advantageous characteristics are describedherein.

[0006] The principal advantages according to the invention are that, asa result of the guiding of the plug-type pin on a defined guidewayduring the opening and closing of the hardtop, a secured open positionis taken up and, from this position, the plug-type pin can be changedinto a closed position. The latter is somewhat free-floating, so that alink pin is held securely and without noise in a body-fixed link elementin the closed position.

[0007] In particular, these advantages are achieved in that theplug-type pin has a transversely situated holding pin on a head-side,which holding pin can be adjusted on face-side guideways in thereceiving sleeve into an opening and closing position against thetension of an elastomer spring arranged between the contact disk and thereceiving sleeve. As a result, it is advantageously achieved accordingto the invention that, on the one hand, by using the elastomer spring incontrast to a metal spring according to the prior art, rattling noisesin coordination with the adjusting movements of the plug-type pin areavoided. This is also aided by the fact that, according to theinvention, the plug-type pin has a pin section with a first step onwhich an integrated elastic sleeve is arranged. The elastic sleeve issupported at the pin end part in a second step and extends approximatelyfrom the contact disk to the transverse pin. As a result, possibletolerances and, therefore, the generation of noises, are avoided betweenthe plug-type pin and the link element during the closing operation.Furthermore, the elastic sleeve has a thicker diameter on its endpointing toward the disk, in contrast to the additional outside diameterof the sleeve. This thicker diameter is required in order to fill thebeveling or the input-side widening of the bore in the link element inthe closing operation.

[0008] The face-side guideways for the holding pin in the outer sleeveconsist of semicircular detent receiving devices (for an open positionof the lock) situated opposite one another in the head of the receivingsleeve for the holding pin. The detent receiving devices are adjoined byramps which change into trough-shaped recesses in which the holding pintakes up a closing or retention position. As a result of thisconstruction of the face-side guideways, corresponding to the diameterof the holding pin, as semicircular detent receiving devices as well asof the adjoining ramps with a defined length and of the recesses whichfollow, on the one hand, a precise opening position is achieved. And, onthe other hand, a closing position is ensured which provides a lockinginto the end-side receiving device of the guideway having a definedlength in the link element.

[0009] In particular, it is provided according to the invention that thesemicircular detent receiving devices are bounded by upright webs, andthese detent receiving devices have approximately the same depth as thetrough-shaped recesses, the ramps having approximately half the depth ofthe detent receiving devices and of the recesses. On the end side, theupright webs bound, on the one hand, the semicircular detent receivingdevices and, on the other hand, the trough-shaped recesses.

[0010] The ramps have adjoining flat sections which originate from thesemicircular detent receiving devices and which correspond approximatelyto half the depth of the detent receiving devices which have diagonallyextending surfaces dropping off to the trough-shaped recesses. As aresult of the construction of the ramps, an easier rotation of theplug-type pin is permitted from the closed position to the open positionand thus an easier operation of the lock.

[0011] The swivelling of the plug-type pin takes place along the helicalguideway in the stationary link element, the plug-type pin being guidedby way of the noise-reducing and tolerance-compensating elastic sleevein the bore of the link element.

[0012] An operation of the plug-type pin of the lock for the purpose ofa rotation takes place, for example, by using a handling tool, such asan outside hexagon wrench which engages into a hexagonal recess of theplug-type pin.

[0013] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptionof the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective diagrammatic view of a lock for a hardtopaccording to the invention;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an installed lock in the closedposition in the stationary link element of the vehicle body;

[0016]FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the lock;

[0017]FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an elastic sleeve of the plug-typepin;

[0018]FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an enlarged receiving sleeve withface-side guideways;

[0019]FIG. 6 is a profiled view of the guideways in the receivingsleeve; and

[0020]FIG. 7 is a top view of the receiving sleeve in the direction ofthe arrow Z shown in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] A lock for releasably connecting a hardtop 2, 2 a with a body 3of a vehicle comprises essentially a plug-type pin 4. The latter isrotatably arranged in a receiving sleeve 5 fixedly connected with thehardtop 2, 2 a by way of screw nuts 5 a, 5 b. An elastomer spring 6 isarranged between the receiving sleeve 5 and a contact disk 7 fixed tothe plug-type pin 4.

[0022] For supporting the contact disk 7, the plug-type pin 4 has afirst step 8. A second step 9 is provided at a distance “a” from thefirst step 8 on the pin 4. On the second step 9, an elastic sleeve 10 issupported, which extends to the first step 8 of the plug-type pin 4.

[0023] For holding the hardtop 2 together with the body 3 of thevehicle, the plug-type pin 4 is pushed into a vehicle-body-side linkelement 11, which has a helical guideway (not shown), in which atransversely arranged link pin 12 of the plug-type pin 4 engages. Aholding pin 13 is arranged transversely in the head of the plug-type pin4 and is aligned with the link pin 12. The holding pin 13 is guided,under tension from the elastomer spring 6, in guideways 15, 16, 17 intoan opening position I and a closing position II (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

[0024]FIG. 6 illustrates the course of the guideways 15, 16, 17 indetail in a developed view, in which case semicircular detent receivingdevices for receiving the holding pin 13 are provided at 0 and 180°;that is, as illustrated in detail in FIG. 7, the two free ends of theholding pin 13 are each held in the detent receiving devices 15 in theopening position I. When the holding pin 13 is rotated in the directionof the arrow X into the closed position II, the pin 13 overcomes ramps16 and then falls under the tension of the elastomer spring 6 intotrough-shaped receiving devices 17, which have a length b. This length bis required in order to ensure a locking into the end-side receivingdevice of the guideway in the link element 11, which guideway also has acertain length. The intermediate ramps 16 are approximately half as highas the receiving devices 15, 17. Beginning from the receiving devices17, the ramps 16 have approximately diagonally sloping guiding surfaces16 a which change into flat guiding surfaces 16 b before dropping-offinto the detent receiving devices 15. The detent receiving devices 15each have a boundary formed by an upright web 18.

[0025] The operation of the lock takes place by using a handling tool 20which has a hexagonal shape, for example, which can be introduced into ahexagonal recess 21 of the plug-type pin 4. By rotating the tool 20, theplug-type pin 4 is correspondingly swivelled into positions I and II.

[0026] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustratethe invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications ofthe disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of theinvention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention shouldbe construed to include everything within the scope of the appendedclaims and equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A lock for detachably coupling a hardtop with avehicle body, the lock comprising: a plug-type pin; a stationaryreceiving sleeve fastened to the hardtop, the plug-type pin beingrotatably held in the stationary receiving sleeve; a contact diskfixedly arranged on the plug-type pin between ends thereof; an elastomerspring arranged between the contact disk and the stationary receivingsleeve; a stationary link element having a helical guideway, thestationary link element being arranged on the vehicle body; a link pinarranged on a tail-end side of the plug-type pin, the link pin beinglockable when introduced into the helical guideway of the stationarylink element; a holding pin arranged transversely on a head-end side ofthe plug-type pin; and guideways provided on the receiving sleeve tointeract with the holding pin, the holding pin being adjustable on theguideways into an opening and closing position against tension from theelastomer spring.
 2. The lock according to claim 1, wherein theguideways, provided on a head-end of the receiving sleeve forinteracting with free ends of the holding pin, have oppositesemiciruclar detent receiving devices for the opening position of thelock, and further wherein the opposite semicircular detent receivingdevices are, in each case, adjoined by ramps whose course changes intotrough-shaped recesses in which the holding pin takes-up the closingposition.
 3. The lock according to claim 2, wherein the semicirculardetent receiving devices are, in each case, bounded by an upright web,the detent receiving devices having a depth corresponding to a depth ofthe trough-shaped recesses; and wherein the ramps have a depthapproximately half that of the detent receiving devices and thetrough-shaped recesses.
 4. The lock according to claim 2, wherein theramps, in each case, beginning from a respective semicircular detentreceiving device, have an adjoining flat section correspondingapproximately to half the depth of the detent receiving devices, theramps then having a descending diagonal guide surface toward arespective trough-shaped recess.
 5. The lock according to claim 3,wherein the ramps, in each case, beginning from a respectivesemicircular detent receiving device, have an adjoining flat sectioncorresponding approximately to half the depth of the detent receivingdevices, the ramps then having a descending diagonal guide surfacetoward a respective trough-shaped recess.
 6. The lock according to claim1, wherein the plug-type pin has first and second steps, the contactdisk being held on the first step; and wherein a sleeve is supported onthe second step situated near the link pin, the sleeve extendingapproximately from the contact disk to the link pin.
 7. The lockaccording to claim 2, wherein the plug-type pin has first and secondsteps, the contact disk being held on the first step; and wherein asleeve is supported on the second step situated near the link pin, thesleeve extending approximately from the contact disk to the link pin. 8.The lock according to claim 3, wherein the plug-type pin has first andsecond steps, the contact disk being held on the first step; and whereina sleeve is supported on the second step situated near the link pin, thesleeve extending approximately from the contact disk to the link pin. 9.The lock according to claim 4, wherein the plug-type pin has first andsecond steps, the contact disk being held on the first step; and whereina sleeve is supported on the second step situated near the link pin, thesleeve extending approximately from the contact disk to the link pin.10. A lock according to claim 6, wherein the sleeve is an elastic sleeveand has a thicker diameter on a portion nearer the contact disk.
 11. Alock according to claim 7, wherein the sleeve is an elastic sleeve andhas a thicker diameter on a portion nearer the contact disk.
 12. A lockaccording to claim 8, wherein the sleeve is an elastic sleeve and has athicker diameter on a portion nearer the contact disk.
 13. A lockaccording to claim 9, wherein the sleeve is an elastic sleeve and has athicker diameter on a portion nearer the contact disk.
 14. The lockaccording to claim 1, wherein the plug-type pin has a recessed hexagonalfemale coupling in the head-side end adapted to couple with a hexagonalhandling tool used to rotate the plug-type pin.